Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of changes in the levels of university enrolment among overseas (a) undergraduates and (b) postgraduates as a result of the implementation of a points-based immigration system.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
EU and non-EU students make an invaluable contribution to the UK’s higher education sector, socially, culturally and financially. The UK Government will continue to welcome international students, working towards the ambition set out in our International Education Strategy, to host 600,000 international students per year by 2030.
The latest data from UCAS's 2019 report shows an increase in international applicants, with EU-domicile applicants increasing by 1% and non-EU-domiciled applicants increasing by 8% from 2018.
Undergraduate and postgraduate students will be covered by the points-based immigration system. This will improve on the current system by simplifying and streamlining the student route for both students and sponsors.
To ensure the UK higher education sector remains internationally attractive, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced the new Graduate Route in September 2019. This will offer an opportunity for international students who have passed their degree to stay and work in the UK for two years post-study.
This announcement enables higher education providers to recruit for the 2020/21 academic year on the basis that their students will be eligible for the graduate route, and ensures that all existing students who meet the requirements, and have Tier 4 leave at the point that the route is introduced will be able to benefit.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on ensuring that faith schools encourage equal opportunities and aspirations regardless of a pupil's gender.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
I meet Cabinet colleagues, including my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education, to discuss equalities issues as appropriate.
It is unlawful for a school to discriminate against a pupil by treating them less favourably in a number of respects because of their sex. This applies to all schools, including maintained and independent faith schools.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring that pupils in (a) Rutland and Melton constituency and (b) England are able to receive support from Mental Health Support Teams.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) are a new service and one of the major commitments made jointly by the Department for Education with the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Health Service (NHS) partners to implement proposals set out in the Green Paper ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper.
Funded through the NHS, MHSTs are designed to help meet the mental health needs of children and young people in primary, secondary and further education (primarily for ages 5 to 18).
My right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care both continue to monitor closely the progress made in this area.
MHSTs will be established in 20% to 25% of the country by 2023, delivering interventions to help children and young people with mild to moderate mental health issues, supporting development of whole-school or college approaches to mental health, and helping children and young people to get the right support and stay in education.
The first 2018-19 trailblazer sites in England, delivering 59 MHSTs, are all expected to be fully operational in early 2020 following completion of their training. A further 123 MHSTs will be delivered through the 2019-20 recruitment wave. Each MHST will work with schools and colleges supporting an estimated 8,000 children and young people.
There are currently no recorded MHSTs in Rutland and Melton constituency, however, recruitment of 2020-21 MHST sites was launched on 10 January 2020 and is open until 16 March 2020. NHS England have invited expressions of interest to establish new MHSTs from all Clinical Commissioning Group(s) in England.